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General Category => Technical Support - General => Topic started by: tjohnson on 01:27, 11 January 18

Title: Important Security Question???
Post by: tjohnson on 01:27, 11 January 18
I read about Spectre and Meltdown in the IT press and I'm really worried about the risk to my CPC, I seem to recall the processor in the CPC is related to the Intel 8080, should I be worried about the security risk and does anyone know how much performance I'm likely to lose if and when Amstrad release a patch to fix the vulnerabilities.......please help.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 01:42, 11 January 18
 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Audronic on 04:20, 11 January 18
Is it April the First already.


Hmmmmmmm


Ray
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Bryce on 09:51, 11 January 18
Quote from: tjohnson on 01:27, 11 January 18
I read about Spectre and Meltdown in the IT press and I'm really worried about the risk to my CPC, I seem to recall the processor in the CPC is related to the Intel 8080, should I be worried about the security risk and does anyone know how much performance I'm likely to lose if and when Amstrad release a patch to fix the vulnerabilities.......please help.

Unfortunately it seems that the patch will cause disks to load as slow as tapes. I've been using a C64 with a 1541 for the last week to get used to this new reality. I'm considering re-designing my CPC with an overclocked 6502.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 10:05, 11 January 18
Quote from: Bryce on 09:51, 11 January 18
Unfortunately it seems that the patch will cause disks to load as slow as tapes. I've been using a C64 with a 1541 for the last week to get used to this new reality. I'm considering re-designing my CPC with an overclocked 6502.

Bryce.


A C64 with a 1541?! You poor thing, I could w**k faster than that!
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Bryce on 10:30, 11 January 18
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:05, 11 January 18

A C64 with a 1541?! You poor thing, I could w**k faster than that!

I really hope that those two stars stand for "al" :D

Bryce.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Audronic on 10:45, 11 January 18
Mine only Take a " Jiffy "


Ray
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 10:55, 11 January 18
Quote from: Bryce on 10:30, 11 January 18
I really hope that those two stars stand for "al" :D

Bryce.


We're both from Dublin... so you can probably stab a wild guess...
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: 00WReX on 12:15, 11 January 18
I always knew that the speculative execution on the Z80 would come back to bite us  :doh:
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: GUNHED on 13:43, 11 January 18
Quote from: tjohnson on 01:27, 11 January 18
I read about Spectre and Meltdown in the IT press and I'm really worried about the risk to my CPC, I seem to recall the processor in the CPC is related to the Intel 8080, should I be worried about the security risk and does anyone know how much performance I'm likely to lose if and when Amstrad release a patch to fix the vulnerabilities.......please help.

Very true, the Z80 took this over from the 8080 CPU for compatibility reasons. But up to now nobody does use that security problem for bad things imho.

The new SymbOS 3.1 has such a patch, but only for the CPC's and MSX, I don't know for the Enterprise.

CP/M does use a complete different way, very 8080 like, and they had a work around from the beginning.

Well, it's unlikely that FutureSoft will release a patch for FutureOS else it wouldn't be as quick in disc management. Good to know: Up to now there is only one known CPC virus, which targets the ROM-RAM-Box and similar devices, it actually does change the DOS ROM.

However, the regular CPC-OS is very prone to that problem in general.

Sorry, can't help more at the moment.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: VincentGR on 19:27, 11 January 18
Quote from: Bryce on 09:51, 11 January 18I'm considering re-designing my CPC with an overclocked 6502.

Bryce.


Someone tried that in the past and he almost went nuts...
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 19:35, 11 January 18
Quote from: VincentGR on 19:27, 11 January 18

Someone tried that in the past and he almost went nuts...


Malc Jennings?  :laugh:
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: VincentGR on 22:02, 11 January 18
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 19:35, 11 January 18

Malc Jennings?  :laugh:


Kelly ;D
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Gryzor on 18:30, 13 January 18
That's the usual FUD shite we see online.


As long as your CPC doesn't go online, you just don't care. If you do go online, just do a hard reset after logging into some site or the other.


Do NOT install the patch, preliminary benchmarks from server farms show a decrease in overscan demos of 40+%.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: tjohnson on 19:41, 13 January 18
Thanks guys, I'm feeling a little bit more reassured, I've been trying to get through to the CPC support line but it keeps ringing out, I'm guessing they are inundated with worried owners.  I'll keep trying and let you know the response.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: Gryzor on 19:43, 13 January 18
I think the worries started when Intel put out that release stating that their processors, along with AMD's and Zilog's, were affected. AMD was furious, but Zilog just didn't say anything, sadly.
Title: Re: Important Security Question???
Post by: VincentGR on 21:37, 13 January 18
Me needs a patch at github, NOW!
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